The meeting on Regulation of mRNA Transcription will be an open international meeting to be held as part of the annual Cold Spring Harbor Cancer Cells Symposia, a series of meetings devoted to fundamental biological research topics related to Cancer Research. The need for a meeting devoted to the topic of Regulation of mRNA Transcription is evidenced by the rapid advances being made in this field during the last few years. This meeting will ensure that the most recent results and methodologies are exchanged and discussed in an atmosphere of face to face contact. This will lead to enhanced progress in this rapidly moving field. The cost of the meeting as requested in direct grants and fees paid by participants is modest compared to the expense of operating even a single research laboratory, yet the benefits of free exchange to information will compensate for this expense many times over. The meeting will be open and attendance will only be limited by the facilities available to 425 participants. The areas to e covered by the Regulation of the mRNA Transcription Meeting include studies on (1): general transcription factors and initiation complexes including mammalian, yeast, and Drosophila systems; (2) transcription elements and factors involved in tissue- specific expression; (3) inducible transcription factors and nuclear signalling events; (4) steroid receptors; (5) the structure and function of transcription factors; and (6) transcription of developmentally regulated genes. In addition, there will be representative lectures on transcriptional control mechanisms in prokayotes so that fruitful comparisons can be made.